


Oh My God They Were Quarantined

by jusains



Category: Black Friday Musical, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, tgwdlm - Fandom
Genre: Henry doesn’t care, M/M, Quarantine, Virus, abandoning wips? not me hahah, and they were quarantined (oh my god they were quarantined), corona this is for u!, edit: i accidentally highkey abandoned this, maybe i'll get back to it someday, or maybe i'll delete it and pretend it never existed, ted cares a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23285572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jusains/pseuds/jusains
Summary: Quarantine fic! because this is what the fandom needs in chaotic times like these!!This was an anon request and i was gonna do a oneshot but it escalated so here we are.Plot: Ted promises Emma to look after Henry when the virus breaks out and citizens are advised to stay indoors.What starts with bringing groceries twice a week escalates into a shared bed and more.
Relationships: Tedgens - Relationship
Comments: 42
Kudos: 86





	1. Apocalypse Please

**Author's Note:**

> TW:  
> \- alcohol/drunkenness

Ted is sitting in Beanies, his eyes fixed on his Chai Iced Tea and his thoughts scattered all over the place. 

Nora turned up the radio when the news came on and now everybody is listening. Everybody, meaning Nora, Emma and Paul, since Ted and Paul are the only customers there and Ted is not listening. 

Ted is thinking. 

Mr Davidson made them leave earlier, compelling them to home office. 

And that’s fine. 

Ted doesn’t mind not having to get up early to go to work, he doesn’t mind not seeing his coworkers as much. 

It’s not that he hates them, he just feels like they hate him. 

And it’s been only recently that he broke off his affair with Charlotte, after he found himself getting too attached. He would catch himself gazing at her after sex, running his finger through her hair and enjoying her company.

And he shouldn’t be like that, not towards her anyways. 

She noticed, he knows she did. Because she mocked him about it. 

Then she started talking about Sam, wondering when he would get home and that was Teds cue to leave. 

He realised that she would never feel the same, that night. 

Even if she did leave her disgrace of a husband, she wouldn’t settle for Ted. 

And he gets it, he knows that she can do a lot better than him. 

He might be better than Sam but he’s still a sleazeball, not some kind of Prince Charming. 

He’s not the kind of guy people settle down with, not at all. He’s the kind of guy that’s good for cheating on your husband with. 

And Ted is okay with it, most of the time. 

But he can’t deny that he’s slowly getting sick of it. 

He’s forty three and he doesn’t even have a dog. 

He had about two actual relationships in his life and both of them were in college and ended rather badly. 

The pressure to get married and have children is a social construct and in Teds opinion absolute bullshit and he doesn’t want to bend himself into fulfilling some stupid social expectations but he can’t deny that he’s a little lonely, sometimes. 

Ted would love to be the kind of person that doesn’t long for at least some kind of intimacy at all, he would love to just be fine with it.  
But he’s not. 

Maybe what he wants isn’t a marriage or god forbid children but he wouldn’t mind waking up next to someone different than Jack Daniels. 

“This is horrible”, Paul mumbles now and Ted looks up for the first time in ten minutes. 

“Huh?”, he makes. 

“Dude, did you even listen?”, Emma asks. 

Ted shakes his head. 

“Was it important?”, he asks. 

“Yeah. Everybody is advised to stay indoors. Hatchetfield is on quarantine. Clivesdale too.” 

“Fuck”, Ted mumbles. “How long?”

Truth is, he doesn’t really care. 

He stays home most of the time anyways and he has no one he wants to meet. 

“A month for now.” 

“How strict is it? Will I get arrested if I’m seen outside?” 

“You can still go for groceries. But social distancing is advised“, Paul says. 

Ted scoffs quietly. 

He should go and buy some booze before all the grocery stores are raided empty. 

“Nora are you closing Beanies?”, Emma asks and Nora shrugs lightly. 

“I suppose I’ll have to. We’re not having customers right now anyways.” 

“Ted and I are here”, Paul says. 

“Yeah because you and Emma are banging”, Ted notes. 

Paul turns red. 

“I should go to my parents in Clivesdale”, Emma thinks aloud, “Make sure they’re okay and that they don’t go outside. You know they said the virus gets risky at 55. They’re in their fucking sixties.” 

“Me too”, Paul says. “I should go look for my dad.” 

It’s quiet for a while, then Emma sighs. “Shit”, she mumbles. 

“What?”, Ted asks, even though he doesn’t care. 

“I just remembered that I was gonna get groceries for my biology professor today. I promised him.” 

“What is going on between you and your professor?”, Ted asks, wiggling his eyebrows at her and getting Paul’s elbow in his rips for that. 

“Fuck off. He’s old and I’m worried about him.” 

“How old?” 

“Like fifty something.” 

“That’s not old”, Ted says, feeling slightly offended because he’s sliding towards fifty as well and a lot faster than he’d like. 

He still has a few years, since he’s 43 but still. Aging is hard. 

Last time he checked he was still in his thirties and here he is now. 

“You should see him. He looks like he gave up.” 

“How can someone look like they gave up?“ 

“You kinda look like that too.” 

“Fuck off.” 

“It’s what? Eleven in the morning? And you’re drunk.” 

“I’m not drunk.” 

He’s a little drunk. But just because he was drunk the day before and then he woke up with a hangover and noticed that he ran out of aspirin so he decided to get drunk again to feel better. 

He thought he was good at hiding it though, which is why he’s a little surprised that she noticed. 

“Hey can you look after him? While I’m at my parents?”, Emma asks. 

“What the fuck? No”, Ted says. 

Why would he? 

“Come on. Just for like two weeks.” 

“No.” 

“All you’d have to do is drive over to his house two times a week and bring him some groceries, make sure he’s alright.” 

“I don’t understand why you think I would do that.” 

“Well you don’t have anywhere to be. You don’t have anyone.” 

It’s quiet after that. 

“Fuck you”, Ted mumbles. 

Emma hesitates. She and Ted may not be friends, they’re quite the opposite actually but now she seems to regret her words.

“I meant-“ 

“No. Let it go”, Ted says. 

“Sorry”, she mumbles. 

Ted sighs now, downing the last of his chai iced tea before he gets up, having enough of this. 

“Professor Hidgens is a nice guy, really”, Emma says, still trying to talk Ted into it. 

“I don’t care. I’m not some kind of caretaker. I’m sure he can look after himself.” 

“You’re so self-absorbed.” 

“Was that supposed to be an insult?” 

“Come on! He’s great!” 

“Is he hot at least?” 

“He’s like ten years older than you!” 

Ted shrugs. “Any hole is a goal.” 

“You’re disgusting. Don’t you dare.” 

“Ugh. See you. Or not”, he mumbles, going for the door. 

He’s fumbling with his jacket, too focused on that to notice someone opening the door from outside. 

They quite literally run into each other. 

Ted stumbles, nearly loosing his balance because maybe he’s a little bit more drunk than he’d like to admit. 

The man gets a hold of him. His grip is strong, just holding on to Teds waist and steadying him. 

“Excuse me”, he says, his voice deep and soothing. 

“Excuse me”, Ted mumbles, just kind of repeating it but at the same time trying to apologise. 

Ted can’t help but let his gaze wander over the man. He’s not even meaning it in a flirty way, it’s just that he’s completely overwhelmed by the whole appearance. 

He saw that man before. Quite a few times. He’s been in Beanies just as much as Ted. Ted has always admired him from afar, eyeing him at Beanies on those countless mornings before work, never saying a word. 

He doesn’t want to be a creep but he couldn’t help it. At this point he’s been staring so much that he almost has him memorised. His tall and lean figure. His pale skin, his silvery grey hair. He’s incredibly attractive, he moves all smooth and elegant. 

And then, at the same time, there’s some kind of sadness in his eyes, like the light has left. He constantly seems to be in a state of exhaustion and Ted can’t help but wonder why. 

Now that Ted is so close to him, he suddenly understands what Emma meant when she said people can look like they gave up. Because that man looks that way. 

Ted is usually not shy when it comes to flirting but something about that man always made him take a step back. 

Maybe it was the sadness in his eyes or maybe it was the fact that Ted felt like he wouldn’t have a chance anyway. 

That man seems special. 

Ted would genuinely like to get to know him. That means his personality. Not his bedroom. 

“Professor Hidgens!”, Emma says now and Ted freezes. 

That can’t possibly be Professor Hidgens. 

Ted takes a step back when the man gently reaches for his arms before letting go, moving past him. 

“Emma”, he says now, “how are you?” 

“I’m fine. Professor, why are you here? You shouldn’t be leaving the house.” 

“Ugh.” He waves her off. “That virus is a glorified flu and nothing more.” 

She frowns and looks past the Professor at Ted, who starts to panic when he realises that he’s still staring. 

“Ted what are you still doing here?”, she asks. 

The Professor turns around, his blue eyes hitting Teds and making his knees go weak. 

What is wrong with him? 

He’s suddenly worried about the Professor, worried about his recklessness. 

Ted might not care about himself but he does care about the hot Beanies stranger that just turned out to be Emma’s biology professor. 

Ted comes back, stepping closer to the group. 

“Ted”, he says, holding out his hand to shake the professors, completely forgetting about social distancing for a minute. 

“Henry Hidgens”, the Professor says, his eyes wandering over Ted in confusion as he takes his hand. 

“You guys aren’t supposed to fucking touch”, Emma groans, already done with this. 

Henry Hidgens lets go of Teds hand now and turns to Emma. 

“Are you still serving drinks?” 

“Professor you should go home“, she says. 

“I can drive you”, Ted volunteers, even though he left his car at home and is also drunk. 

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. Emma I’d like a latte. Please?” 

Emma nods lightly. “Okay”, she quietly gives in. 

The Professor fumbles out some money, pushing it towards Emma on the counter. 

“Thank you”, Emma says, handing him his coffee now. “I’ll bring you groceries later yeah?” 

He waves her off, already on his way out. “There is no need for that. I’m already here, I can grab some on my own.” 

“Professor-“, she starts but that’s when the door falls shut behind him. 

It’s quiet for a while, then Ted looks up at Emma. “I’ll do it”, he says. 

She shakes her head. 

“No, you won’t. No, you won’t, you’ll keep it in your fucking pants.” 

“I promise I won’t make a move! I won’t make him uncomfortable!” 

“You’re such a fucking creep, you know that?” 

“I’m just.. genuinely worried about him. I get it now, I get what you said earlier.” 

It’s true. Ted _is_ worried about him. 

Emma sighs, burying her face in her hands for a moment. 

“Okay”, she whispers, then she looks up. “Okay. It would be great if you could check up on him like twice a week or something.” 

“Will do.” 

“Thank you.” 

“I’m not doing it for you.” 

“For yourself then?” 

“No, for him. On contrary to your opinion on me, I do have some decency.” 

Truth is, he is doing it for the Professor, but he’s also doing it for himself, at least a little. 

He needs a reason to leave his shitty apartment every now and then. 

And he wants to give it a try.   
The Professor and himself.  
He will surely back off at the first sign of rejection, he’s not that much of a creep. 

But he wants to try, he wants to see if there’s a chance that the professor could be interested. 

He’s not naive, he’s not looking for love, just for something. 

Intimacy. 

He’ll call it intimacy. 

He’s been looking for it in the beds of strangers, sleeping around with people, most of them married. 

Like Charlotte. 

But now Ted is starving, he’s lonely. 

And Henry is right there. 

And it’s a pandemie and people get desperate during hard times.

Ted is people. 


	2. The Fortress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ted brings Henry groceries for the first time.

The drive to the Professors house is kind of weird. 

There‘s barely other cars or people around. 

Ted passes one car and in it is an elderly lady. The two of them end up having eye contact for an uncomfortably long time. 

The woman frowns at him and then she shakes her head, before she drives past him.  


Ted feels like he‘s in the middle of an apocalypse.

He feels like he’s in _the walking dead_ except there’s no one walking around dead.  
  
Ted has to admit that he doesn’t actually know what exactly happens in _the walking dead_ , he saw like one episode and he would never admit it to anyone but he was creeped out. 

After driving for about fifteen minutes, he can see the Professors house from afar. It’s the only house in that street. And the street is not really a street, it‘s more like a small road made of gravel and dirt leading directly to that house. Or that fortress. 

What even is that? 

The professor is probably a vampire. 

Ted pulls over to the edge of the road and turns off his car. 

If he dies in there, at least he’ll die getting his blood sucked out by a hot vampire and in his opinion, that‘s worth it. 

What a way to go. 

He gets out of his car now and opens the trunk, reaching for the two bags of groceries before slamming the trunk shut and locking his car.

He slips his keys into the pocket of his jacket and goes over to the big gate. 

It takes a while until he finds the doorbell but at some point he does and he rings. 

“Who is it?” 

“Ted?” 

“Who?” 

“Uh, Emma sent me? Emma Perkins. I’m bringing you groceries.” 

“Hold on, I’ll let you in.” 

The gate buzzes open and Ted steps inside. 

It’s another forty feet to the stairs, leading up on a porch and to the door. 

Ted hurries to the stairs, not wanting to keep the professor waiting when he opens the door, looking impatient. 

“Thank you, you did not have to”, the Professor greets him. 

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s not like I’m busy right now.” 

“Emma is too worried, I don’t require all this.” 

“Stocked up already?” 

“I’ve theorised this.” 

“So you’re the asshole who got all the toilet paper”, Ted jokes. 

The Professor frowns. 

“No, that wasn’t me. It’s gone?” 

“I- ..yeah, the shelves are empty, but I was joking.” 

“Oh. Yes, of course.” 

“Want me to carry these inside for you?” 

“It’s alright.” 

“I don’t mind.” 

“Okay.” 

The Professor opens the door further, stepping aside to let Ted in. 

Ted walks inside, finding himself in what seems like an open combination of living room, dining room and kitchen. The walls are dark blue and there’s heavy dark green curtains gracing the tall windows. 

There’s a leather couch and a chandelier and everything seems a little gloomy but also rich. 

“Follow me”, the Professor says, walking over to the kitchen. 

Ted awkwardly rubs his shoes on the doormat before he follows him, putting the bags down on the concrete counter tops. 

“Are you rich or something?”, he asks. 

“Not really.” 

“Okay.” 

The Professor starts to put away the groceries and Ted watches him for a bit, before he concentrates on the rest of his house again. 

He’d help him unpack but he literally doesn’t know where everything belongs and he doesn’t want to annoy him by being in the way. 

“Do you live here alone?” 

“Clearly.” 

“Why?” 

“What?” 

“Since when do you live here alone?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You must have had someone here at some point. I mean..” Ted is not sure how to put it. 

He was going to find out if the professor is single but now he has a feeling that he’s just being rude. 

“I suppose that’s not interesting, is it?”, the Professor asks. 

“I mean, if you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine.” 

“I do not.” 

“Okay.” 

“You don’t have to come here anymore, Ted.” 

“Huh?” 

“I am very capable of looking after myself. I know Emma means well but this is not necessary.” 

“Maybe I want to come here.” Ted winks at him. 

“Why would you want to come here?” 

“Make sure you’re not dead?” 

“Very funny, Ted.” 

“Maybe I think you’re cool.” 

“Cool”, the Professor quietly repeats, sounding it out on his tongue like a fine wine, he ends up considering unbearable. 

He frowns. 

“I’m lost here. What are you trying to achieve?” 

“I don’t know”, Ted mumbles, half-honestly. “Maybe I want to get to know you.” 

“Are you flirting with me?” 

“Do you think you’re that irresistible?” 

The Professor blushes. 

“I do not, I’m simply.. trying to understand why you would want to come here when you don’t have to.” 

Ted sighs, nodding lightly. 

He steps closer to the Professor. 

“What if I was flirting?” 

“That would be ridiculous.” 

“Maybe I think you’re irresistible.” 

“This is inappropriate. You are very young.” 

“Man, I’m 43.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” 

“I thought you were around Emma’s age.” 

“No.” 

“It’s still inappropriate.” 

“Why?” 

“I-..” He frowns. 

“If you want me, that’s fine.” 

The Professors eyes widen and he takes a step back. “Good god.” 

“That’s a no?” 

“We will not be having sex.”

“Okay.” 

“I mean never.” 

“Okay, if you say so.” 

“Good.” 

It’s quiet for a bit. 

“You should leave”, the Professor decides. 

“I’ll be back on Thursday?” 

“No need.” 

“Okay I’ll be back.” 

“Ted-“ 

“Any wishes?” 

“I don’t need groceries from you.” 

“At least let me check on you. Make sure you don’t do stupid shit like go outside and get infected.” 

“I don’t understand why everybody is so worried.” 

“Because it’s kinda serious.” 

“It’s not.” 

“This is exactly why you should let me check on you.” 

He hesitates, then he shrugs lightly. “Alright, I suppose I won’t mind if you come once a week.” 

“Twice.” 

“Once.” 

“Thrice.” 

“Once.” 

“Four times.” 

Hidgens sighs. “Twice.” 

“Great.” 

The Professor takes a few steps back now and goes for a wallet that’s laying on the kitchen counter. He reaches for it and pulls out some money, holding it towards Ted. 

“What for?”, Ted asks. 

“The groceries.” 

“That’s too much.” 

“Well you also had to drive here, that’s gas money. And your time is valuable too, I assume.” 

“It’s really not but alright, I’ll take it.” 

Ted takes the money, shoving it into his pocket. He’s broke anyway. 

“Thank you for coming here.” 

“Thank you for.. uh, the money?” 

The Professor actually smiles at that. 

“I’ll walk you to the door.” 

He walks past Ted and towards the door and Ted catches himself staring at him for a moment. He’s so graceful. It’s endearing. 

Ted forces himself to follow Hidgens, not really eager to go already but not wanting to be annoying as well. 

The Professor opens the door. 

“There you go”, he says. 

“Can I call you Henry?”, Ted asks. 

“No one does that.” 

“But can I?” 

The Professor sighs. “I suppose.” 

“Cool.” 

“Goodbye Ted.” 

“Bye Henry. See you.” 

“See you”, Henry whispers. 

It’s the last thing Ted hears before Henry closes the door, shutting him out. 


End file.
